comment #1

Glenn Kenny says ...

IT IS ON!!!!

comment #2

LexG says ...

LOOK AT HER! And her, and her, and her, and her, not her, but her!

And definitely her! Ultimate female body type alert!

comment #3

Abbey Normal says ...

And again, VF relegates the non-white actresses to the back sleeve.

comment #4

LexG says ...

Oh, PLEASE. WAAAAH! There's two ACTRESSES OF COLOR in the mix altogether (another page with Paula Patton isn't represented in Jeff's photo.) Who else do you want on there who's new and relevant? Octavia Spencer?

It's about Young Hotness; These are the It Girls du jour... Who are you, Tyra Banks, where on Top Model it's 50 percent white women, 50 percent black women??? Which, as we all know, is EXACTLY what the makeup of the real fashion world is. PLEASE.

LOOK AT THEM and pipe down. Please, like this tired meme about "WHERE ARE THE WOMEN OF COLOR" that catches wind every year isn't the most DOUCHETASTIC PC hand-wringing ever. OH YES PLEASE, put MO'NIQUE's big fat ass stuffed into a dress on the cover between Shailene Woodley and Elizabeth Olsen.

People like pale, fragile white women. I know I do.

comment #5

roland1824 says ...

"If we'd only given Billy Beane a cute dog for a pet."

They went with the guitar-playing daughter instead.

Interesting they gave J. Lawrence and, by proxy, Hunger Games, the top of the pack spot.

Do we approve of Brad & Bennett's stubble?

comment #6

LexG says ...

Pitt and Miller shot is CLEARLY an homage to the FRIENDS WITH P video.

comment #7

Gabe@ThePlaylist says ...

Rentals, I had no idea you were a fan Lex.

Also, hey, someone saw "Pariah."

comment #8

Dan Revill says ...

Lex, I would bet that these actresses are not exactly fragile. They may look delicate, but it's tough out there, isn't it? Being fragile doesn't seem to be a very good quality in Hollywood.

comment #9

Alboone says ...

I've been collecting these issues for the past ten years and most covers have been nothing short of spectacular, but this one just clearly, I don't know what to say...STINKS!

Wasn't Jennifer Lawrence on last year? And WTF is up putting these black women in the incept fold? Paula Patton had a giant hit with MI4 out grossing all of these actresses flicks, she should be on the cover goddammit! What the poor coloreds can't use the same brush as the whiteys? This is just straight up racism 101 Hollywood bullshit. I'm burning my copy when I get home.

comment #10

Raising_Kaned says ...

"They may look delicate, but it's tough out there, isn't it?"

If by "out there" you mean being in their trailer, being catered to by personal assistants at photo shoots, and being hit on by every man alive (and probably a good 70% of females) during premieres and after-parties...then yes.

comment #11

Raising_Kaned says ...

And this is crazy, but I'm starting to feel like Theron might have those magical "Jolie" genes where not only does she maintain the natural stunningness from her youth, but she somehow might actually even look sexier now than ever (is that even possible?)?

Holy fuck.

comment #12

HarryWarden says ...

The whining about Patton being relegated to the back in spite of M:I 4 being a hit is hysterical. Like she had absolutely anything to do with that film making money, come on! If anything, they should stop pandering and not put women of color on the cover unless actually warranted. This year, it wasn't.

comment #13

JLC says ...

In that shot, I think Theron looks a lot like Michelle Pfeiffer, circa Scarface. And that is not a bad thing to look like at all.

comment #14

LexG says ...

Shailene is the ULTIMATE WOMAN and the most beautiful and enchanting newcomer since Kristen.

They have two women of color... the REAL SNUB here is, Where's Elle? If anyone had a great 2012 and is the STAR OF TOMORROW, it's Elle Fanning.

Also would've liked to see Sarah Hyland.

comment #15

MechanicalShark says ...

They don't have Elle Fanning here yet because SHE'S NOT OLD ENOUGH.

comment #16

LexG says ...

Old enough? She's New Hollywood, she was an It Girl of 2011, she rules, she's taller than any of these chicks, and it's wearing a GOWN. Jesus.

Also I like Mia Wasikowska more and more. She seems VERY demure and nonthreatening, wispy and girlish... I wish she'd have kept her hair in the fetching cut though.

LOOK AT THEM! LOOK AT THEM! GOD I love actresses... they are my ultimate fantasy.

comment #17

ModernLifeIsRubbish says ...

They missed Saoirse Ronan and Lea Seydoux.

comment #18

Abbey Normal says ...

I put that post up purely for Lex's benefit, and successfully trolled him into another borderline racist rant! I shall now go about my day, satisfied in a job well done.

comment #19

Abbey Normal says ...

Also: http://jezebel.com/5880848/vanity-fairs-hollywood-issue-pushes-actresses-of-color-aside-again

comment #20

LexG says ...

They should be showing their feet. At least the year Kristen was on there (with Blake Lively) they were on a beach.

comment #21

LexG says ...

Also you know "Abbey Normal" is whiter than Eric Stoltz, and has probably never met a black person in his/her life. I, on the other hand, am a well-known HONORARY BLACK MAN like Bill Clinton, grew up around black guys and listen to a shitload of rap music and watch shit like BELLY all the time, so I know what I'm talking about.

Get the hell out of here with that "racist" crap, that doesn't play over here. Expressing that I prefer LILY WHITE PALE SKIN and FRAGILE DEMURE PASSIVENESS is not racist in any way. Even if I pointed out that RAP GUYS all bang white women, that's not racism, that is an inarguable FACT. Black men like WHITE WOMEN. White men like WHITE WOMEN.

I like Paula Patton though... and my new favorite is Genesis Rodriguez, who is LATINA... And I am a big fan of those eminently firebrand LATINAS Selena Gomez and Jessica Alba.

Christ, I even like one Filipino (Vanessa Hudgens), which proves I like all types and kinds. But prefer DEMURE, THIN, NON-THREATENING white girls.

comment #22

LexG says ...

Plus we all know how big VANITY FUCKING FAIR is in the male African-American community.

BLACK GUY: "SAAAAAY LOOOKY HERE, I need to be picking up the new copy of THAT THEYUHHHH VANITY FAIR, THAT BE my FAV-O-RITE MAG-O-ZINE."

Yeah, right, Abbey Normal. Just like you're still clinging to your 1976 Mabel King-signed copies of JET with the "Bingo Long and the Traveling All-Stars" centerfold pull out.

Douche.

comment #23

Abbey Normal says ...

(wipes the spittle off his face) Jesus Lex, what's up your fat ass today?

I may not have unimpeachable gansta cred like you, what with your love of half-assed Scarface ripoffs and affinity for The Man From Hope, but it may interest you to know that I have actually MADE LOVE to a black woman, and given that you haven't made love to anything but your fist in at least a decade, my credentials as a genuine defender and lover of blacks and black culture, not to mention my judgment on the matter of what black women have to offer white men, might be a little more shall we say BONA FIDE than yours.

And besides I characterized your rants as "borderline racist," not full-blown racist, in which case I wouldn't even bother working you into such a lather.

(braces himself for next barrage of deranged culture references and accusations of douchery)

comment #24

Sams says ...

Theron's is a bit of a surprise. It's something I expect more from the likes of SacrJo or Blake Lively or Amber Heard.

comment #25

Cerulean says ...

J. Lawrence doesn't have any business on the front cover. She had small supporting roles in two forgettable Indie movies. Elizabeth Olsen carried her movie and was the talk of the town out of Sundance. Even Mia W. I wouldn't have put on the cover for her tiny movies. All this talk about the women deserving to be on the front cover more than others is B.S. The only four deserving of the cover based on box-office and coverage: Rooney Mara, Jessica Chastain, Paula Patton, and Elizabeth Olsen. But sadly being half-white is not good enough to make the cover of VF. Sorry Paula. Wouldn't want to dirty up our coffee tables with a picture of a woman with even olive-skin, it might scare our guests!

comment #26

LexG says ...

Oh, PLEASE.

Again, I think Paula Patton is really cool (and hot), but nobody-- can you say NOBODY-- NOBODY saw MI4 *because* of Paula Patton, and it didn't really give her career any particular extra heat; She got tons and tons of hype and coverage when she was a NEW It Girl-- like five years ago when she was in Deja Vu and Idlewild, and because of Robin Thicke, and again two years ago with Precious. She's a perfectly beautiful and engaging C-list-level mid-range actress; Not like there was any OSCAR TALK surrounding her contribution to Ghost Protocol.

Jesus. LOOK AT THEM.

comment #27

LexG says ...

"Theron's is a bit of a surprise."

Theron was in PLAYBOY once (pics taken when she was struggling, but spread ran around '98 or '99), plus she's been naked in almost everything.

comment #28

VivianLin says ...

Then I start reading, and it's usually pretty good (especially the 1950s or '60s or '70s Hollywood piece that Peter Biskind usually writes) but the pleasure meter goes down a bit. Just a bit -- nothing serious. And then the magazine sits on my coffee chest for the next two or three months. There are more information about golf.

comment #29

Cerulean says ...

@Lex all I see is lots of powder and too much make-up on interchangeable faces. Each year the "It-girls" on the cover go on to less than stellar careers and are easily replaced by the same looking faces. You say "nobody" went to see MI-4 for Paula Patton, so how many people went to see "The Beaver" or "Like Crazy" for Jennifer Lawrence's supporting parts? How many people went to see Albert Nobbs just for Mia W.? I'm sure only you know the answer. Clearly if you are 100% White in a supporting role people go to the movie JUST to see you so you DESERVE to get the front and center position on the cover but if you are only 50% white well "nobody" went to that movie to see you. Isn't that right Lex?

comment #30

Jesse Crall says ...

One out of every 8 Americans is black. So, ideally, 1 out of every 8 lead roles in films would go to black actors, one out of every 8 oscar nominations would go to a black actor, and 1 out of every 8 "hot new actresses" would be black.

I'm being really general, but it looks like Vanity Fair's actually a reasonable reflection of black America.

comment #31

LexG says ...

Cerulean, I don't know what you're on about, but I can tell you two things with absolute certitude--

1) 90% of men don't ever EVER go to see movies based on the actress, and unless it's some MAJOR name star like Jolie, Reese, Bullock or arguably Heigl, most women don't either; Most of my guy friends never care about actresses or even pay attention to the parts of the movies with women, and regard them as like cheerleaders. I don't agree with this, and I LOVE actresses, but for most men they're interchangable, pretty much regardless of color.

2) I, unlike the above men, absolutely will and do go to see movies based on my enjoyment of certain actresses; If K-Stew or Dakota or Shailene or Rooney or Emma Stone is in it, my attendance is mandatory. Because I am The Ultimate Feminist. Even WOMEN don't stand up and support their favorite actresses at the box office like I do.

What is your obsession with Paula Patton somehow being slighted? Have you seen her interviews? She is absolutely delightful and good-natured and modest, and is probably overjoyed to have made the list at all. Why do you have to put words in her mouth, or that of her fans, making it light there's some GRAVE INJUSTICE being committed here?

And, really, you think BLACK WOMEN were slighted? Funny, I don't see any Asian chicks making the grade either-- or members of the West Memphis Three.

comment #32

Jesse Crall says ...

Rock on, LexG. It's actually very cool that you support certain women, even if Dakota's inclusion on your list seems problematic...

The only actress who I'll see everything in is Kate Winslet, but Rooooneeeey was so off the charts in Dragon Tattoo that I hope she'll keep hooking up with great directors. But actresses often end up in so much crap, even the good ones like Reese Witherspoon. They need MORE AWESOME PARTS. More Lisbeths more Beatrix Kiddo's, more April Wheelers more more more.

comment #33

Raising_Kaned says ...

I had to Google April Wheeler because I honestly had no fucking idea who that was. I like Winslet a ton as an actress, but that part wasn't even as iconic as, say, April O'Neil.

Theron was phenomenal as Mavis Gary -- I just wish the film was slightly more substantial. To me, it even feels short for its running time, which is only about 90 minutes.

comment #34

Raising_Kaned says ...

I had to Google April Wheeler because I honestly had no idea who that was. I like Winslet a ton as an actress, but that part wasn't even as iconic as, say, April O'Neil.

Theron was phenomenal as Mavis Gary -- I just wish the film was slightly more substantial. To me, it even feels short for its running time, which is only about 90 minutes.

comment #35

Raising_Kaned says ...

I had to Google April Wheeler because I honestly had no fucking idea who that was. I like Winslet a ton as an actress, but that part wasn't even as iconic as, say, April O'Neil. Theron was phenomenal as Mavis Gary -- I just wish the film was slightly more substantial. To me, it even feels short for its running time, which is only about 90 minutes.

comment #36

JaySmack says ...

LexG you're starting to become as bad with the race-baiting as some of the other posters around here.

Yes, I'm sure there are people who like pale women, which is why the tanning industry is a mega-million dollar juggernaut, and the skin-lightening business is a niche.

And yes, the cover may be about "young actresses" which begs the question, why is it that VF never highlights any black actresses? And how much effort does Hollywood put into funding projects that give exposure to black actresses? Did you think about that before you gave us your pithy opinion?

Oh, and just for your information people like dark, strong back women too.

I know I do.

comment #37

JaySmack says ...

And please contain you're whining. Abbey Normal nailed it, and you clearly know he's right, which is why you attacked him, but couldn't disprove him.
The black actresses are on the back cover, where viewers cannot see them. That is Jim Crow int he 21st century.

If AN's pointing that out makes you uncomfortable, then why don't you tell VF to stop doing things like that? Don't attack the messenger.

comment #38

JaySmack says ...

And to help Cerulean with his demo-dodge attempt.
Whites comprise about 65 or so percent of Americans. That being the case if you have 3 actresses on a cover (or in this case 7) then at least TWO of them should be women of color. if the number were 8-9 then it should be no less than 3.
Do they have to be black necessarily? No, though there's certainly nothing wrong with that, though I'm sure you'd disagree.

So, the cover is indeed racially exclusive, and biased in the favor of whites. Nice try though.

There seems to be a lot of white guys in this thread who are giving their opinions without bothering to examine the facts. Knee jerk defenses of media racial bias won't whitewash the situation.

comment #39

Raising_Kaned says ...

Straight to the point:

1) White Americans (including Hispanics) comprise roughly 75%-80% of the overall population of the United States. In other words, this cover is actually fairly representative (aside from the lack of an Asian presence).

2) You know what's actually racist? Viewing every group of people as though it has to be this 100%-accurate sampling of the country at-large. It's not.

3) It's just a group of individual actresses that are breaking out or really starting to make their mark on Hollywood -- having said that, which other black actresses would YOU choose?

4) You could probably actually make the argument that Adepero Oduye might not even deserve to be on the cover AT ALL (let alone on the "very front" cover). Who is she? What is Pariah? I've never heard of it before, and I love movies.

comment #40

JaySmack says ...

oh, so Hisapnics are "white" now? LOL
That's going to be news to the Tea Party, ethnographers, the US Census Bureau, oh and Hispanics themselves, like Zoe Saldana.

And for you to "amke the argument" that Ms Oduye doesn't belong on the cover makes my point.
The bigotry and bullsh*t is flying high from the white guys today.

comment #41

Cerulean says ...

@Lex: you completely dodged the question. Lawrence had two forgettable supporting roles in non-money making movies but is front and center on the cover. She doesn't have any Oscar nomination. Apart from her skin color why should she have that position? In comparison Paula Patton was in a supporting role in one of the biggest money making movies of the season. Yes you can argue that "nobody" went to see any of those movies for those actresses but why is Lawrence on the cover in the first place? What did she do better than the other actresses to EARN that position?

comment #42

LexG says ...

Cerulean, Jennifer is in a little thing called HUNGER GAMES that is about to become the new TWILIGHT; Having her on the cover is like having Kristen on a few months before Twilight in '08, or QC putting Tom Hardy on a cover NOW, even though Warrior bombed, but in anticipation of Dark Knight.

Also Jennifer Lawrence is HOT AND AWESOME.

comment #43

LexG says ...

Also she was in X-MEN this past year, not just Like Crazy and The Beaver.

BOW TO HER.

comment #44

alico says ...

Also you know "Abbey Normal" is whiter than Eric Stoltz, and has probably never met a black person in his/her life. I, franklin marshall on the other hand, am a well-known HONORARY BLACK MAN like Bill Clinton, grew up around black guys and listen to a shitload of rap music and watch shit like BELLY all the time, so I know what I'm talking about.